Lancashire Police- Not Impartial

Once upon a time, homosexuals were badly treated in this country. Whether or not I agree with any particular lifestyle, I object to anyone, regardless of religion, orientation, social class or intelligence, being subjected to crime and intolerance. The pendulum, though, is beginning to swing the other way. At the 2017 Gay Pride event held at Lancaster, Lancashire Constabulary overtly promoted a group whose own website admits to be a campaigning organisation. Although I respect the right of all groups to gather and host events, I am concerned that my local police force appears to be campaigning for a pressure group.  

Photographs taken at the event include:

•             Police officers openly marching in the parade, rather than merely policing it.

•             Officers altering their uniform, so as to display the rainbow symbol instead of their proper epaulettes.

•             Mounted officers having rainbow-coloured saddle covers.

•             Police cars with the usual markings and livery altered, displaying the rainbow symbol and the motto ‘Police with Pride’.

Despite the force wrestling with millions of pounds of cuts, it found the money to do all this.

The Pride movement is not just about protecting LGBT people and sharing information about them. It is a part of a political campaign to alter current laws, which they successfully assisted with in 2014 when the legal definition of marriage was altered. The police must be seen to entirely impartial in this matter- which they clearly are not.

Furthermore, the Lancaster Pride Facebook page clearly endorsed the local Labour party candidate in last month’s general election. This therefore calls into question the impartiality of our local police force. I have therefore formally complained about Lancashire Constabulary.

Let me be clear. I’m not complaining about the Pride event itself, nor the rights of gay and lesbian people to be treated fairly by the law and given the protection of the police. I’m complaining about the police’s explicit endorsement of this campaign group. Can you imagine a Christian event during which the police put ICHTHUS symbols on their cars and Bible verses on their uniforms? No. I’m not asking the police to endorse Christianity and I’m not asking them to withdraw tolerance of gay people. I do, however, ask them to be impartial.